2 h. ago Streeting worried about rats ‘crawling around’ in Birmingham amid bin strike

Members of the Unite union launched an all-out strike last month over pay and jobs which has led to tonnes of black bin bags not being collected.

Events

3 h. ago Blind Birmingham resident fears for safety as bin strike rubbish piles break walking cane

A Birmingham resident who is blind says the cane she uses to walk broke after getting caught on large piles of rubbish left on the streets.

Events

3 h. ago Wes Streeting hammers union over Birmingham bin strike saying piles of rubbish are 'not good for public health' as MP calls for soldiers to clear streets

The Health Secretary accused Unite of creating a situation where 'bin bags are piling up (and) we see rats and other vermin crawling around' in England's second city.

Events

59 h. ago Labour councillors in Birmingham enjoyed free trips to the ballet, Champions League football and fine dining

Deputy leader Sharon Thompson was given a £300 ticket by Brindley Capital, an investment firm, to watch Aston Villa beat Celtic in the Champions League the evening before a strike.

Sport

68 h. ago ‘We’re not a third world country, we’re England’: anger rises as Birmingham’s bin strike takes toll on locals

With the city’s refuse collectors still on the picket line after four weeks, residents are pointing the finger of blame at the council Suhail Sadiq’s car repair business is thriving and he’s furious about it.The rats are responsible. “The amount of cars we’ve got coming in now with wiring chewed up by rats is unbelievable,” he says. Staff at Heartlands Auto Centre in Birmingham have repaired about 15 cars with chewed battery cables in the past week. The rats are drawn to the warmer cars at night, he says – rats gnaw to keep their teeth a manageable length. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago ‘This is ideal for them’: business is booming for Birmingham’s ‘rat king’

The Guardian joins a pest controller on the city’s streets as residents fear a rise in rodents during bin workers’ strikes“They’re not fussy,” said Martin Curry, describing the far from epicurean appetites of the scurrying rodents that the residents of Birmingham fear could flood the streets of their city.“Rats all have their own personal tastes but if food is scarce they’ll eat anything,” he said. Curry, who has been called the “rat king” locally, runs MC Environmental Pest Control. He has been on the frontline of stamping out the rodent threat amid a weeks-long bin strike that has caused bins to pile up on Birmingham’s streets. Continue reading...

Economics

3 d. ago Union dismisses Starmer's desperate plea to 'get round the table' and end Birmingham bin strike crisis as fury mounts at Labour council

Amid mounting fury at the Labour-run council over the chaos, with rubbish piling up and rats running riot on the city's streets, No10 urged Unite to negotiate 'in good faith'.

Events

3 d. ago Birmingham bin strike: Residents say getting slot at tip like ‘winning lottery’

In some areas, communities are stepping in when they see people dumping rubbish on the streets.

Events

3 d. ago Plea to be kinder to rats even as rodents gorge on bin strike rubbish & terrorise locals

An animal rights charity has issued a plea with Brits to be nicer to rats calling them "wonderful animals". This message comes as shocking images show piles of rubbish taking over streets in Birmingham

Events

3 d. ago Diggers brought in to remove huge mountains of rotting waste in crisis

One giant pile of dumped rubbish had to be removed by crane after fly-tippers blocked access to a children's park as the long-running bin strike rumbles on in the city

Events

4 d. ago Birmingham bins boss provides update on when mountains of rubbish could be cleared

All-out strike ongoing for weeks means 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected across city

Politics

4 d. ago Thought Birmingham's bin strike was bad? How 1975 Glasgow walkout saw 70,000 tonnes of rubbish fester in the streets...before the Army were called in

In 1975, a mass walkout by binmen in a row over pay crippled Glasgow. In January of that year, around 350 workers began an unofficial strike that lasted more than three months.

Events

4 d. ago Birmingham refuse strike ‘must end’ says minister after visit to city

Birmingham City Council declared a major incident on Monday to deal with the weeks-long strike.

Politics

4 d. ago Minister visits Birmingham amid calls for Government to intervene in bin strike

Local government minister Jim McMahon will meet council chiefs in an effort to end the strike, which has seen tonnes of rubbish piling up.

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Rats the size of my arm’: Horrified Birmingham residents plead for end to bin strikes

In Birmingham, 17,000 tonnes of rubbish remains uncollected across the city.

Events

5 d. ago Union boss tells Angela Rayner ‘government can’t sit on hands’ over Birmingham bin strike row

Leaked letter reveals Unite's Sharon Graham told Deputy PM: 'Let me be very clear that the pay of these workers is being cut by a Labour Council under your watch.'

Politics

6 d. ago How Birmingham bin strike's buried the city in 17,000 tons of rubbish, unleashed huge rats and a disgusting stench... as tempers flare: ROBERT HARDMAN

The children are just a few feet away. I can hear them on the other side of the fence. They must be able to smell it: a mountain of leaking bin bags, foul-smelling waste sacks and suppurating wheelie-bins

Events

6 d. ago Birmingham bin strike: Rats seen roaming freely as waste piles up in hot weather

Rats are roaming freely with an average of 10 rodents spotted per hour on Birmingham streets as rubbish piles grow larger and residents are now losing patience with the striking workers

Events

7 d. ago Government accused of ‘washing its hands’ of Birmingham bin strike problem

MPs also heard a resident of the Edgbaston area of the city claimed to have been ‘bitten by a rat’.

Politics

7 d. ago Birmingham declares major incident over bin strike as MP says resident 'bitten by rat'

Council estimates 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected around the city

Events